Over the ages human beings have developed into very private individuals. In the outside world we keep secrets and conduct our business behind closed doors and frosted glass in order to protect our privacy, our dignity, our livelihoods. Technologies such as computers and the Internet call this privacy into question and we are increasingly called upon to share personal information voluntarily or involuntarily. However, as a society, our behaviour regarding privacy does not extend onto the Internet. Users frequently give out personal information when signing up to use an online tool or service. Furthermore, users often use search engines, email accounts and other websites where they are unaware of or passively agree to breaches of their privacy.
A possible reason for this is offered by the Guardian's Cory Doctorow, who suggests that Internet users allow invasions of privacy from online sources because there are no immediate consequences to their actions [1]. For example, one does not expect to have their identity stolen every time they buy goods online. This unassertive attitude towards privacy online has been so deeply ingrained that when an Internet giant, like Google, implements an even more invasive privacy policy, most users quietly accept it without truly understanding the risks of doing so [2]. Thus, through their inaction, many users leave themselves open to cyber attacks that could have dangerous repercussions in the real world.
On the whole, governments are doing more to protect users' privacy than users do for themselves. Laws such as the Privacy Act in Canada and PIPEDA are important safeguards to the public's privacy online. Also, many governments are in opposition to Google's new privacy policy and speaking out against it. While it can be argued that governments should be doing more to educate the public on how to protect their privacy online, ultimately, it is up to users to protect their own privacy by changing their behaviour with regards to how they use the Internet. I would suggest reconsidering the use Google products - one could switch search engines or email clients. Another good idea is using anonymous browsing software such as TOR.
[1] http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2012/mar/02/censorship-inseperable-from-surveillance
[2] http://www.ft.com/cms/s/2/7d8c375c-6489-11e1-9aa1-00144feabdc0.html
Its more than just the immediate consequences. The only way to keep your private information offline is to stay offline. In this day and age, to be apart of society is to be online in some way. The providers of these popular services requires identifying information so we give it to them. The hope is that they respect our privacy and keep these information private as best they can.
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